Folding mechanism



.. w. EvENsEN 193o.

i Sept.y 23, Mmmm mmm A Re.' 17,814 l i A3 Shee-ts-Shg'etu original Filed Dems 1924 INVENTOR w. EvNsEN Pomme MEQHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 sept. 23, 1930.

' original Filed Dec. 29. 1924- TOR I lm I ATroRNE W. EVENSEN4 u FOLDING MECHANISII Sept. 23, 1930. Re. 17,814

Original Filed Dec. 29. 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mum Mlllmllmn IIIIIIIIIIIIII i 4 f @l I i g L ATroRN Reissued Sept.v 23, 1930 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFricE'f WILLIAM EVENSENQOFCIIICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNOR ToGoss rRINTING PRESS ooivI- PANY, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS l FOLDING Mnc'IIANIsIvI Original No. 1,701,177, dated February 5, 1929, Serial No.V 758,553, filed December 29, 1924. Application for reissue ined October 29, 1929. serial N. 403,337.

The inventionkrelates to novel *folding mechanism, and in certain of its aspects, more especially to rotary folding mechanism for imparting the transverse fold to newspapers pre aratory to delivery. v

bjects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and 1n part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinationsV pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, `combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and

together with the description, serve to eX- ing to the upper part of Fig. 2, but showing g one of the folding rollers retracted from folding"position topermit the removal of a choked fold 5 is a fragmentary top plan corresponding to the right-hand end of Fig. 3

with the parts in the position of Fig. 4,

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are perspective detached details of the roller-positioning wedges and the actuatinglever for' retracting the folding roller from folding position.

The invention is directed primarily to a mechanism for quickly and instantaneously retracting a folding rollerto permit easy and immediate removal from the folding roller of a choked paper, and vthen quickly' and restoring the roller toits fol-ding A position with respect to its cooperating roll er. It sometimes happens, especially in rapid newspaper folding, wherein heavy iiewspapers are given the final transverse fold at the rate of thirty-five thousand to forty thousand folds per'hour, that a paper will become jammed or choked in the folding rollers, and it is exceedingly 'desirable to be able to immediately and With very little trouble clean` out a cliocked or jammed paper and have the folding' roller returned easily, immediately and accurately to folding position.

The invention is Adirected further to providing functions and capacities as just described in connection with mechanism for variably` and accurately positioning one or lboth folding .rollers toregulate the width of opening between them. Suchvariable positioning is necessary in presses wherein the number of pages in successive issues varies very Widely, the range of variance frequently being, for example,- between eight pages and thirty-six pages or more for different issues or days, and for effective folding it is necessary that the space between the two col operating folding rollers be correspondingly varied and regulated.

The invention, as embodied, is also applied to a folding mechanism embodying the foregoing described features and constructions and wherein one or both folding rollers have a resilient action when in `folding position and during the folding operation.

The invention is shown applied vto a fast rotary transverse newspaper folder, and the -invention finds one of its greatest fields of vusefulness in such machines, although it will beA understood that it isv applicable to, and useful with, other kinds of folding mechanisms. f

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, the general frame of a printing press is indicated by 1, and a folding cylinder by 2. The cylinder .may be of any usual or known form, and has its shaft 3 mounted in bearings 4 carried upon the cross reaches 5 of the folder side frames of press.

40 i erably mounted in lixed position with respect The cooperating mechanism for cutting the web andengaging and carrying the new web end is shown only partially and in a l, general way, and may be of standard or` 'other convenient form.. The .successive head ends ofthe `webs are held by either 'of two sets of semicircumferentially separated impaling` pins r11, the pins being forced through the lead end of the plicated webs when the transverse cut is made in the usual manner.

The transverse series of impaling pins are mounted inthe correspon-ding cutting blocks 11, with which cooperate the cutting blades 12. The blades 12 are mounted on the cylinder 13, the shaft ltof which is journaled inbearings 15 carried on .the reaches 5 of the side frame'of the folder. i i

Mountedon the folding cylinder 2 are two tuckingblade mechanisms 22v and 23, respec-L tively, located a f semicircumference apart,

these blades being preferably of the usual double type. i The shafts of the blades 24 and 25, respectively, are journaled in `the cylin`` i der 2, and fixed centrally to these respec- Y tive shafts, are corresponding actuating arms 26 and 27. -The arm 26 has at either end thereoffcam rollers 2.8 and 29,.aiid the arm 27 has at the ends thereof corresponding camrollersl V30land 31` These cooperate with suitable actuating mechanisms (not shown), whic'lirmay be of anyfstandard ork suitable form,1such as the well known I-lusby cam methanisin.y yAll the foregoing mechanism isy old "and `well known and'inay be ofiany standardwform or f, any other suitable form, as may be desired,l i

Referringnow in detail to the folding' rollers between which the newspapers,`or other group of sheets, is tucked by the" foldingy blades 22 or 23 (Figs. l, 2y and 4),*one of the cooperating folding rollers 38 vis prefto the folding locus, although both rollers Amay be movable relatively thereto if desired.

The shaft 39 of roller 38 ismounted inbearings carried, upon vpillars 40, at eitherend thereof. The two pillars 40 are integral with and extend upwardly from corresponding brackets 41, which have at their lower ends plates 12, which plates face against the Ainner surfaces of the reaches 44.! ofthe folder side frames, and are bolted thereto by bolts The cooperating *folding roller fl'is va-l' rifably positionable to regulate thewidth of the folding'space `,between the cylinders foriA folding papers having widely varying num-r bers of sheets. This roller also is quicklyand easily retractable to permit the `removal of a clicked product;` is quickly andleasily re*- turiiable to exact foldingposition and is also resiliently mounted to'yi'eld during the fold fing, actionther`e beingalso means for regulatingpthe amount or degree of this resilient yielding action.

. This aiding roiier (rigs. i, amie 54.

has its shaft mounted at either end in friction sleeves 56, carried in bearings 57. `The respective bearings 57 have rearwardly extending cylindrical parts 58 mounted, rev lspectively, for longitudinal movement in hollow cylindrical housings 60 and 61;A the hubs 58. being supported'fi'ee for longitudinal movement in the forward or inner end of n ,rearwardlycylindrical, integral rods and whichiaie supported, free forilongitudinal `movement in the rear ends of the correspondi `ing housings 60 and 6l. Rods 65and 66 project rearwardly fromtheir housings` 60and 61 for engagement' and cooperationwit-h the i means for"positioningthe foldingroller 54s` f for yfolding and with the means fori'etracting `roller'51l to remove'the choked r product and `thereafter restoring itto folding position. Thev embodiment means for imparting the resilientfolding action to the folding roller 54 comprises helical springs 67 coiled about rods` 65 andy 66, respectively, and in-coinpresn sion between the ends of the parts 58 of thev folding roller ysupport and the inner faces of the rear `ends of the housing 60'and 61. Y

Referring [primarily to themeans for variably and regulably positioning folding roller 54 `to change-thespace between the folding rollers for folding products of differlent` thicknesses, f this mechanism fisv an iinprovement on the corresponding mechanism shown in my copending application Ser. N o. 625,57 9 filed March l16, 1923. In the present embodied form, two wedge mechanisms are provided, cooperating with the stems or rods 65 Aand 66, already described. `In these respective wedge mechanisms, wedge members 78 and 79 have, respectively, straight faces 80-and 81, bearing against the exterior sur# lfaces of tlierear ends ofthe corresponding liousmgs 60 and 61. The corresponding rods or stems 65 or 66 extend through oblong apertures 82 `in the corresponding wedge members 78 and 79 so that the wedge member i may have transverse movement relatively toV f its rod. l n u The respective wedge members78 and 79 are centrally yrecessed on their rear sides to receive and support, respectively, cooperating wedge members 86 and87. 'The wedge members 86v and `87 are each cylindrically centrally apertured at 88, the corresponding rods 65 or .66 passing therethrough, and by reason of the shape of the aperture, the

wedge members 86'and 87 are held in fixed transverse: position with respect to the rods i 65 'and 66. `The inclinedsurfaces 90 of the wedge members 86 and 87 contact with and cooperate with the corresponding inclined surfaces 91`0f thegwedge members 7 8 and 79, as the latter move transversely with respect to the rods 65 and 66, thus increasing and decreasing the thickness ofthe wedges, and thereby moving roller 54 toward and away from roller 38.

Means are provided for simultaneously imparting this .transverse movement to the wedge members 78 and 79, and as embodied,

. means of which the screw shaft 99 is rotated.

The hub of the hand wheel abuts on the outside of bearing 101,and a collar106 is fixed to the shaft 99 on the opposite side of the bearing '102, and the shaft is thus free to rotate but is held aga-inst longitudinal movement. The shaft has a screw-threaded portion 107 within the Wedge member 78, and a like screw-threaded portion 108 within the wedge member 79.

Thus by rotating the screw shaft the corresponding wedge members 78 and 79 are moved longitudinally of the screw shaft 99, and the wedge members 90 and 91 are thereby moved rearwardly or forwardly, and in cooperation with the springs '67 and the nutsV 121 and 126 (later to be described) they accurately position the folding roller 54.

Referring now to the embodied form of mechanism for retracting folding roller 54 to facilitate the removal of a choked product, and for thereafter restoring it accurately to folding position, similar-devices 'are' provided for both bearings of roller 54. A s embodied, on the left-hand end of Fig. 3, an arm 115 is centrally apertured and is rotatively carried upon rod at the rear of the positioning mechanism just described. Means'are provided whereby rotative movement imparted to the member115 will impart considerable retraction to the vbearing for the Iroller 54. As embodied, a pair of semi-circumferentiallyv separated teeth 116 and 117 are formed on the inner face of the plate 115 and act asI cams to cooperate with y corresponding cam notches 118 and 119, formed on 'the rear or o uter surface of the wedge member 86. The outer end of the rod 65 is provided with a screw-thread 120, a nut 121 being vscrewed thereonto vand held in position by a linch pin'v122. This nut cooperates with the mechanism j ustpdescribed and also with the normal positioningl means and the tension determining means.

In the corresponding mechanism is provided at the other end of the folding roller,

aplate 125 having corresponding cani-teeth 116 and 117A on the inner surface thereof` cooperating with cam notches 118 and 119 formed in the outer face of the wedge memf ber 87. A nut 126 is screw-threaded on the end of the rod 66 and is held inplace by a linch pin 127.r This mechanism is the same, and operates in the same manner as that already described.

Means are provided for simultaneously actuating the camming plates 115 and 125, and as lembodied a link 130 hasI one end thereof pivoted atV 131 to plate 115, and plate 115 is extendedto provide an actuating lever or handle 132. Link 130 has its other end.

pivoted at `133 to the plate 125, whereby the two camming plates move together.

In the embodied means for regulably varying the space between the 'folding rollers, y

the structures and mechanisms already de--` scribed are preferably utilized. the nuts 121 and 126 in either direction, and

9c By rotating l through cooperation thereof with springs 67 roller 54 may be moved toward ing roller 38, in nice and accurate relation.

In cleaning a choked fold, lever 132 is or from foldmoved from full line to broken line position in Fig. 3, and thus plates and 125 are rotated on their respective rods 65 and 66, and their cam teeth 116 and 117 are movedout of the corresponding pairs of cam notches 118 and 119 (that is from the position of Figs.

2 and 3 tothat of Figs. 4 and 5) and the folding roller 54 is retracted as shown in Fig. 4. Thus any newspaper or other product which had been choked into the folding space between the folding rollers 'as shown in Fig. 2

would be easily` removable from the relatively wide space between the folding rollers, as shown in Fig. 4. After the choked product is removed, thehand lever 132 is moved back from the broken line to the full line position of Fig. 3,and cam teeth 116 and 117 again pass into the cam notches 118 and 119, under impulsion of the springs 67 and 68. .Folding roller 54 is thereby immediately restored to the folding position as determined and regulated by the nuts 121 and 126 in cooperation with the springs 67 as already described.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a mechanism has been provided constituting an exemplary embodiment of the invention, and realizing the objects and advantages herein set forth, together with other objects and advantages. It will be understood further that departures may be made from the exact mechanism as shownanddeseribed, Within the scope ofthe accompanying claims,

Without departing from the principles vof the invention and without advantages. I What I claim.i"s;:'-I

`sacrificing its chief 1.. A folding'mechanisin including, in com-v bination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, a regulating means operating 'on' bothr ends of a roller to regulate the 'space between the rollrelease means operated by a single movement! for temporarily more widely separating the rollers to release a choked fold...

2. A folding mechanism including in coni- .loination afpair of parallel foldingrollers, `means lfor varying the space between the rollers to fold papers of `various thicknesses rwhile maintaining said rollers in parallelism,

means for tucking sheets into theb'iteoffthe rollers, and manually operable cam means for quickly and temporarily separating'jk'the'rollers to release a cliokedfold.

'3; A folding mechanism including in combination'a pair of folding rollers, means for ,varying the space therebetween, means for @permitting resilient movement of amfoldiiigroller during folding,"mean`s' for tucking sheets into the bite. of the rollers, and in anu` `ally operable means movable to one position for quickly and temporarily separating the rollers to release -a choked fold, and (return- 'able by. a single' movement to its initial porsiset folding position. i l

4. A folding mechanism including,in combination,a pair of foldingrollers, means for folding sheet'sinto the bite lof the rollers, means cooperating Withboth i ends" of 'one of saidrollers for moving the supports thereof tion to restore said'rollers to their previously to varythe space between the rollers' for foldf speed rotary Aprinting press including, in

ing papers of different thicknesses,and additional means for quickly' and vtemporarily moving said supports to release a clicked fold.

5. A folding mechanism including, incombination, a pair of parallel folding rollers,

' regulating'means forA iniiiutely 'regulating the space between the rollers tot foldpapers ,of various thicknesses while maintaining said.

rollers in arallelism i and additional means-: l A.

P `rotary'printing press including, in zcombmai.

forftemporarily more widely separating said rollers topermit removal of ai. choke yand fter ermittiiioP said rollers to return toi .f thema p D L ygap betweensaid parallel rollers,aiidgnieans folding position as determined by said,v regu@ lating means. c t

6. A folding mechanism including, in combination, a pair ofparallelwfolding rollers,

resilient nieansacting on one oflsaid rollers,`

screw-.threaded cooperating means for regu# lating paper from folding position to release `a choke.

bination, a pair of? parallel*foldingrollers l acting fon* one' of' said rolle rs,

resilient `ii'iea.

the space between said rollerstorfold of different thicknesses,v and *cams equipped' means for camining'a folding roller back 7; Afoldingmechanism incli'idii'ig, in com; c l

' lrotary printing'press including, in combina'- 'c screw-threaded cooperating'means for regu.A

. lating the spacebetweeii said rollers to fold'y i papers of different` thicknesses, 1and'cam'- equipped means for camming both ends of` a folding roller back from foldingy position` to release av choke.

.8. A folding mechanism including, in com-.

bination, a pair of parallel foldingiollers,`

{screw-threaded .means for. regulating the space between said rollers to` fold papers 'of various thicknesses while'maintainiiig said" rollers inparallelism, spring and cani means operated by a single movement for temporarily more widely separating the rollers to permit removalA of a choked fold.v 9. A folding mechanism including, in conibination, a pair of folding rollers, means for tucking sheets intoA thefbite l'of the rollers,

moving supports at eitherend of one roller, a pair of contacting Wedges for each support, and means for simultaneously effecting relativemoveinent between the :wedges of each pair to regulate thespace betweenthe i temporarily moving the roller and supportsy against the action of the springs tov release i a choked fold. f

10. A foldingA mechanism including, "inn` folding rollers, and means forquickly and for quickly and teniporarilyimoving theroll.-

er and.k supports againstfthewaction of the springsto .release ar choked fold..

v11. A lfolding mechanism for a high combination, a pair of parallel folding lroll-y ers, means to obtain minute variation'sof the folding gap;between `said parallel rollers, f

and. meansl operable by a single movement to` nsuddenly increase the separation of said rollers by fa definite Vamount tojrelease a `choked fold. f

lll)

12. A'folding mechanism for a high speed tion. a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to'obtain. minute. variations ofy the' :folding tion, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means `rto obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers,.and means to instantaneously effect a further, fixed 'separation between said rollers. r i

14. A folding mechanismk for a high speed tion, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means" f rotary printing press including, incombina- I lsu to obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and means to instantaneously lock said rollers 1n widely separated relation.

15. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including, in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and means to instantaneously effect a further, liXed separation between said rollers, without distributing the setting of said first-mentioned means.

16. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including, in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and selflocking means to instantaneously further separate said rollers.

17. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to obtain minute variations` of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and a single means to instantaneously move and lock one of said rollers at a comparatively great distance from the other. y

18. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and single means to instantaneously lock said rollers in widely separated relation and to instantaneously restore saidrollers to folding position.

19. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means to obtain minute variations of the folding gap between said parallel rollers, and single means to instantaneously move and lockone of said rollers at a substantially greater distance from the other and to instantaneously unlock and return said roller to the position determined by said first-mentioned means. l

20. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including in combination a pair of parallel folding rollers, means for minutely varying the folding gap between the rollers, and quick release means` for suddenly increasing said gap to nonfolding proportions to release a choked fold without disturbing the setting of the gapvarying means.

21. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including, in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means for minutely varying the folding gap between the rollers, and quick release means for suddenly increasing said gap to non-folding proportions to release a choked fold without disturbing the setting of the gap-vary ing means and without disturbing the parallel relation of the rollers.

22. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing press including, in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means for minutely varying the folding gap between the rollers and means operable by a single movement to increase the folding gap to ynon-folding proportions .to release a choked fold.

23. A folding mechanism for a high speed rotary printing' press including, in combination, a pair of parallel folding rollers, means for minutely varying the folding gap between the rollers and means operable by a single movement to increase the folding gap to non-folding proportions to release a choked fold without disturbing the setting of the gap-varying means.

24. A folding mechanism for a. high speed rotary printing press including, in combination, a pair of parallel 'folding rollers, means for miuntely varying the folding gap between the rollers, and quick release means for suddenly increasing said gap to non-folding proIxn-'tions to release a choked fold without disturbing the setting of the gap-varying means, said means being operable to return the'rollers to the adjusted folding position by a second 'single movement.

25. In the folding mechanism of a high speed rotary printing press in combination a pair of parallel folding rollers and means operable by a single movement for quickly epzlirating said rollers to release a choked olc.

26. In the folding mechanism of a high speed rotary printing press in combination a pair of parallel folding rollers and means operable by a single movement for quickly separating said rollers to release a choked fold, and means being operable by a single return movement to restore the rollers to folding position. I

27. In the folding mechanism of a high speed rotary printing press in` combination a pair of parallel folding rollers and means operable by a single movement for quickly separating said rollers a definite amount to WILLIAM EVENSEN. 

